Continental Grade: C5 Extra, C5 Special & C5, C4 & C3

🌿 Continental Grade Ceylon Cinnamon – Economical, Authentic, Versatile

Continental Grade is a commercial-grade Ceylon Cinnamon variety, valued for its authentic flavor and cost-effectiveness in bulk applications. Though coarser and thicker than premium grades like Alba or C5, it still carries the distinctive sweet aroma of true cinnamon, making it ideal for high-volume culinary and industrial use.

🔍 Uses of Continental Grade Cinnamon:

🍛 Mass-Market Culinary Applications

• Used in bulk spice blends for food processing
• Ideal for stews, rice dishes, sauces, and curries in hotels, restaurants, and catering (HORECA)
• Popular in ethnic cuisine across Middle East, Africa, and Asia

🏭 Industrial Processing

Ground into powder for use in:

• Bakery products
• Cinnamon-flavored snacks
• Instant meals
• Breakfast cereals

🍵 Tea and Herbal Blends

• Used in tea bag blends, detox infusions, and medicinal herbal products
• Preferred by bulk tea manufacturers who want natural flavor at scale

🧪 Essential Oil & Extract Production

• Used in cinnamon oil extraction and for cosmetic/aromatherapy bases
• Suitable for functional beverage industries and extract-based formulations

✅ Why It’s Preferred:

• Authentic Ceylon variety at a cost-effective price point
• Thicker bark – stronger structure for bulk packing
• Consistent availability throughout the year
• Suitable for grinding, brewing, and industrial blending
• Most commonly exported grade for developing markets and wholesale buyers

Ceylon Cinnamon Grade Comparison Table

Mexican Grade: M5 Special, M5 & M4

🌿 Mexican Grade Ceylon Cinnamon – Soft, Aromatic, and Ideal for Grinding

Mexican Grade Ceylon Cinnamon refers to a special cut of Cinnamomum verum (true cinnamon) that is softer, lighter, and primarily used in powder form. As the name suggests, it is a preferred variety for the Mexican and Latin American markets, known for their deep use of cinnamon in beverages, desserts, and spice blends.

🔍 Uses of Mexican Grade Cinnamon:

🍵 Spiced Beverages & Infusions

• Widely used in Mexican hot chocolate, cinnamon tea (té de canela), and coffee infusions
• Ideal for flavoring syrups, liqueurs, and cinnamon milk drinks

🍰 Desserts & Confectionery

• Perfect for desserts, pastries, churros, flans, and rice pudding
• Popular in cinnamon-sugar dustings and baking powders

🧪 Ground Spice Blends

Commonly processed into fine powder for use in:

• Pumpkin spice
• Seasoning rubs
• Ethnic spice blends for retail packaging

🧪 Health & Wellness Applications

• Used in detox drinks, natural sweeteners, and functional health products
• Preferred for herbal teas and natural remedy formulations

✅ Why It’s Preferred:

• Softer bark – easy to grind and process
• Light color and mild, sweet aroma
• Ideal for powder production and infusion use
• Matches the taste profile preferred in Latin American markets
• Available in bulk broken quills, quillings, or ready-made powder

Ceylon Cinnamon Grade Comparison Table

Hamburg Grade: H1, H2 & H3

🌿 Hamburg Grade Ceylon Cinnamon – Heavy-Duty, Coarse, and Ideal for Industrial Processing Hamburg Grade is one of the lowest commercial grades of Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), known for its thicker, harder bark and rough appearance. It is primarily used in industrial applications, especially where cinnamon is ground into powder or used for extraction purposes, rather than for direct retail consumption.

This grade is in high demand in Europe, especially Germany (hence the name "Hamburg"), and is exported in large volumes for mass-market spice production and flavor extraction.

🔍 Uses of Hamburg Grade Cinnamon:

🏭 Industrial Processing

• Ideal for grinding into cinnamon powder
• Used in spice mills for commercial powder production
• Suitable for food processors requiring bulk flavoring agents

🧪 Extraction & Distillation

• Used in essential oil extraction, especially for eugenol-based oils
• Common in flavoring concentrates, cosmetic infusions, and medicated oils

🍛 Food Manufacturing

• Added in instant foods, pre-mixed seasonings, biscuits, and cereals
• Preferred in bulk food processing where fine grade quills are not necessary

🌱 Animal Feed & Functional Additives

• Used in natural animal feed supplements and plant-based additives due to its functional properties

✅ Why It’s Preferred:

• Coarser texture, ideal for grinding
• High oil and fiber content
• More affordable than Alba, C5, or C4 for high-volume use
• Available in broken quills, quillings, and chipped bark
• Readily available for bulk export from Sri Lanka

Ceylon Cinnamon Grade Comparison Table

Cinnamon Quillings

🌿 Ceylon Cinnamon Quillings – Fine Fragments for Grinding and Infusions Quillings are made up of small broken pieces and fragments of Ceylon Cinnamon quills that naturally fall off or break during the cutting, rolling, and grading process. Though irregular in shape and size, quillings retain the full aroma and flavor of true cinnamon, making them a cost-effective and versatile option for grinding and blending.

They are one of the most commonly used cinnamon forms for powder production, tea blends, and spice mixes.

🔍 Uses of Cinnamon Quillings:

🧪 Grinding into Powder

• Used in bulk cinnamon powder production
• Perfect for industrial spice mills and low-cost private label packaging

🍵 Tea Blends & Herbal Infusions

• Used as a component in loose-leaf tea blends
• Adds authentic cinnamon flavor to herbal detox mixes and spiced teas

🧪 Spice Blends & Bakery

• Ideal for mass-market spice packs, baking mixes, and instant spice sachets

🧪 Essential Oil Extraction (Minor Use)

• Quillings may be used in low-yield oil extraction processes

✅ Why They’re Preferred:

• Economical source of true Ceylon Cinnamon flavor
• Perfect for grinding and blending without needing full quills
• Available in regular, fine, or mixed-size quillings
• Suitable for bulk buyers, retailers, and manufacturers

Ceylon Cinnamon Grade Comparison Table

Cinnamon Chips

🌿 Ceylon Cinnamon Chips –Rough Bark Pieces for Extraction and Brewing

Cinnamon Chips are coarse, unrolled or partly rolled pieces of cinnamon bark, usually left over after quill production. They are thicker and more fibrous than quillings and often come from the outer bark or coarser inner layers. While not suitable for stick-based retail use, cinnamon chips are highly effective for infusions, extraction, and bulk spice flavoring.

🔍 Uses of Cinnamon Chips:

🧪 Essential Oil & Extract Manufacturing

• Preferred by extraction facilities for cinnamon oil, tinctures, and aromatic applications

🍵 Herbal and Medicinal Teas

• Used for slow-brewing in spiced tea blends, digestive tonics, and detox drinks

🏭 Food Processing

• Added to boiling spice blends, soups, and marinade bases where filtration is involved
• Used in meat processing and ready meal production

✅ Why They’re Preferred:

• Thicker and longer-lasting flavor release
• Ideal for long steeping or boiling processes
• Most cost-effective form of true cinnamon
• Bulk availability makes it attractive for large-scale processors

Ceylon Cinnamon Grade Comparison Table